Gladys Books & Wine: A New Space For The Black Queer Community In Brooklyn

Featured Image: Owner Tiffany Dockery cutting the ribbon at Gladys’ grand opening. Photo by Rio Williamson.

Growing up, Tiffany Dockery always loved Fridays. Fridays meant family piled into her grandmother Gladys’ Chicago home: velvet couches, food that stretched across tables, conversations that never seemed to end. When Dockery decided to open Gladys Books & Wine, she set out to bottle that feeling–the warmth of belonging, the sense of being held—and pour it into a space of her own. 

Walk through the door and you’ll see what she means. There’s a beaded curtain in the basement, pink feather chandeliers hanging like soft plumes, retro bar stools tucked against a glossy green backsplash, and arched bookshelves stacked like stained glass. Jazz hums low in the background, conversations bubble around you, and every corner feels like it’s been designed for either plotting your next great idea or curling up with Baldwin and a cappuccino.

And those shelves? They’re not just filled, they’re curated. Dockery made sure the collection centers Black and lesbian voices, from classics like Audre Lorde’s Zami: A New Spelling of My Name and James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room to contemporary favorites like Jesmyn Ward’s Let Us Descend, Bolu Babalola’s Honey & Spice, and Candice Carty-Williams’ Queenie. You’ll also find memoirs like Janet Mock’s Redefining Realness, Saidiya Hartman’s Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments, and poetry that lingers—June Jordan, Jericho Brown, and Danez Smith. Even the romance is intentional, with spines by Alyssa Cole and Rebekah Weatherspoon tucked in. It’s a library and a love letter.

The bar serves coffee all day—lattes, matcha, espresso shots for the brave—and while Dockery is still waiting for the liquor license to clear, there’s an impressive lineup of non-alcoholic wines and teas. Books are the inhale, wine the exhale, and together they create a ritual for grown-ups who’ve outgrown the club but still want connection.

Bed-Stuy has embraced Dockery wholeheartedly. She’s still in tech by day, but pixels don’t compare to people.

“You can make something that touches millions of people on screens, but joining my local block association has actually been the most meaningful thing I’ve ever done,” she told GO. “It got me involved in my community.” Community is also what built Gladys. Dockery conceptualized the idea in January 2025, broke ground in May, and opened by August—an “absolutely crazy” turnaround, but, as she puts it, her Virgo rising energy has its uses. She leaned on the power of the community to pull it off. “A week before we opened, my friends were in here putting books on shelves. At the grand opening, I had friends in the back bar-backing,” she said. “As someone who can sometimes think I can do it all by myself, I had to ask for help. There was no way we could do it without it.”

Dockery is just as intentional with her staff. “Our staff is full of trans and gender non-conforming folks, because they’ve always been a part of Black lesbian communities,” she said. Her long-term goal? To provide healthcare for every staff member. “The biggest goal is to be sustainable, profitable, and able to take good care of the people who work here and the people in our community.” Programming is already underway: movie screenings, mixers, anonymous wine tastings, talks. Upcoming events include a screening of Rainbow Girls with a Q&A featuring the filmmakers and activist Qween Jean, plus appearances from Kimberlé Crenshaw, the African American Policy Forum, and the Black Feminist School.

Even before opening, Gladys had a strong online presence of about 9,000 followers on Instagram and 5,000 on TikTok, but Dockery was skeptical of the hype. It was the community’s in-person response that shifted her perspective. “Someone at the grand opening was like, ‘I’ve gone to so many Black business closing parties. It’s nice to be at a grand opening,’ and I teared up at that one.”

That moment made it clear: there is a hunger for spaces like this. Gladys is created for Black queer women and fem-presenting folks, but the door is open to all. Among the books are texts on Palestinian history and resistance, a reminder that solidarity across struggles matters as much as what’s poured in your glass.

At the end of the day, Dockery’s dream for Gladys Books & Wine isn’t just about sipping a glass of red while flipping through Baldwin—it’s about building a sanctuary. A place where Black queer women, trans folks, and their allies can feel both held and celebrated, where a good story and a good pour go hand in hand. With book-and-wine pairings on the horizon, a growing lineup of community events, and the promise of even bigger things to come, Dockery is proving that her vision is more than just a niche idea—it’s a movement.

Gladys is where softness meets solidarity, where culture is sipped and savored, and where, if you’re lucky, you might just find your new favorite book, your new favorite wine, or maybe even your new favorite version of yourself.

Make your way to Gladys Books & Wine at 306 Malcolm X Blvd, Brooklyn and stay up to date with all the fantastic events to come @gladysbooksbk.